


We are just pretending- or are we?

by Pusteblume17



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Bellarke, Doctor Clarke, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Nerd Bellamy Blake, Pretending, Slow Burn, Weddings, bellarke AU, single parent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2019-07-05 22:11:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15872721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pusteblume17/pseuds/Pusteblume17
Summary: Read this prompt online and couldn't resist doing something with it!"I lied when I got my job. I told them I had a kid so I could leave early to pick her up from day care, take her to doctors' appointments and occasionally miss a day when she's sick. Long story short: I 'm in too deep. I didn't think it through. Looking to rent a kid for bring your child to work day. Must be a girl, age 2-4 with curly brown hair who loves to paint the walls of my house with every available color. Must be artistic as the macaroni noodle drawings I made seem a little advance for someone that age. She also needs to respond to "My little Picasso" as that's what my wife and I call her. Also I will pay extra for someone willing to play the role of my wife when dropping her off. Mother is a teacher who usually brings the kid to the daycare. You know what, just message me for the details, serious inquiries only."





	1. The Dilemma

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! So, I am actually new to this site when it comes to posting stuff here. Until today, I only read silently but since a few people over on fanfiction.net seem to be interested in this story, I wondered if people here were interested too. Please let me know what you think!
> 
> I am not a native English writer and I do not have a beta reader either. So if you find mistakes, you can kindly keep them and take care of them :p 
> 
> Feedback is really really appreciated! It’s been a long time since I wrote a fanfiction, so I would be happy about some constructive criticism or any response at all

Bellamy was panicking. He was seriously freaking out, right in front of his boss. How was he going to pull that off?? He liked his work. Really, he did. He loved writing for the Newspaper’s History section, he even pulled off a Greek Mythology series right from his first day and it has been hugely successful, the ratings and sellings of the newspaper going up a lot.

Alright. Maybe it wasn’t his smartest move to say he had a kid. Technically, he had to take care of someone, his little sister Octavia being only 16 when their mother died and he took the job in the firm. But to say he had a toddler at home and a wife who was a teacher and often brought home her work… He should have known that this story would blow up some time…

“Well, are you going to the firm’s dinner? Everyone does!” Miller, one of the sport’s section writers said, all his other colleagues nodding. 

Bellamy shrugged, trying not to blush and pushed his glasses further up on his nose. “I am not sure. What date is it again?” 

“Friday this week”, Monty, who was writing for a science fiction and game section together with his long-term buddy Jasper, said. 

“Friday? Like next week?” The others nodded. “Well, my wife’s got some parent teacher thing, I think. I’ll have to find a sitter for my daughter, which could be a problem. We have not found one yet and we don’t feel comfortable leaving her with strangers.” 

Murphy shrugged his shoulders. “You could always bring her too. There will be some child friendly dinner, some entertainer person. I have been bringing my wife and son for the past two years too. It’s a great opportunity to spend time with your wife, having your baby close and not having to worry about them.” 

“Sure, alright. I’m in. Let’s see if we find a sitter or not. If not, I’ll just… bring the little one with me.” 

And yeah. That’s how he got himself into another kind of mess. How was he supposed to find a wife in 12 days? Or get himself a kid in that short amount of time?! 

*

“You agreed to go to the firm’s dinner. With your wife and kid?!” 16-year-old Octavia Blake, the tips of her hair dyed pink, who had also been seemingly going through a rebellious, teenager, “let’s wear all black” phase, asked, her eyebrows raising to her hairline. 

“I know, O. Please. It’s bad enough as it is. You don’t have to rub it in.” Bellamy said, sitting down onto the couch in their living room, head in his hands. 

“You’re screwed.” Octavia flopped down besides him and handed him the ice cream container and spoon she had just gotten for herself from the fridge. “Here. Eat. You can use that better now.” 

“Thanks” he mumbled, opened the container and took a big spoonful of their favorite chocolate ice cream. “What am I going to do?” 

His sister took her laptop from the table. “Let’s see… Do you have any friends who could pretend to be your wife? You could always say you found a babysitter for your non-existent baby girl.” 

“Won’t work. I told them I don’t know any sitters yet, since we just moved here. And besides… None of my female friends would be willing or able to pull that off. Think of Echo or Harper. They’d spill the secret even before dinner was served!” 

She rolled her eyes. “That was the worst thing to say to your colleagues.” She typed away on her laptop, opening various sites with escort girls. “What about an escort?” 

“Octavia!” Bellamy angrily exclaimed. “I am not going to pay someone to play my wife.” 

“Why not?” The teen shrugged. “Let’s face it. That’s your only option. We could ask for someone with a kid. Or… we could put some ads into newspapers or something.”

He handed her the ice cream container. “Eat that. And then please do me a favor and do your homework? Did you not have to finish some of that?” 

“Well, dearest brother, fortunately for you, I have already finished everything. I have a brilliant idea! There is this new art teacher at my school. I think her name’s Miss Griffin! I saw her a couple of times, talking to other teachers. I am pretty sure she mentioned a toddler.” 

“I am also not going to take your teacher as my pretended wife, O.” He vehemently shook his head. “I’ll… think of something. I just need some time to wrap my head around all this.” 

His sister sighed. “Alright. If you say so. I’ll go have a shower and then watch a chick flick. Have fun thinking of a solution for your problem!” 

 

Three hours later and he still hadn’t come up with a solution. His sister had left her laptop downstairs, the escort website still opened. He glanced at it once, twice, just to shut the lid of the laptop. He would not pay someone to be his date, not that he could afford getting an escort anyways. 

*

The next day, Octavia came home and slipped him a piece of paper. “That’s Miss Griffin’s number. I told her you would be interested in taking an interview with her, about her art and stuff. Call her. Befriend her, as soon as possible. And then please, please take her out to the dinner and take her toddler with you! I heard the teachers talking about the little girl, she seems like a real cutie!”   
“O…- “he started, but his sister interrupted him. “No. Don’t start. She is the best choice you have!” 

He contemplated calling the art teacher for a few minutes. Then, in a spur of a moment, he typed in her number and pressed the green button on his phone. 

“Griffin?” She sounded young. Pretty. Can someone even sound pretty, Bellamy asked himself.

“Uhm… Hi. This is Bellamy Blake. Uh… Octavia Blake’s brother? She is a student at Jaha High.” 

He heard something slam shut, then an angry 'Madi, stop that!' and another crash that sounded like a breaking glass. “Sorry, sorry. I’ve been battling with my toddler for the past few hours. She is a thunderstorm today. Again.” 

“I know the feeling, Octavia was hard to restrain too. Heck, she still is.” He said, grinning slightly. Then he remembered who he was talking to. “Anyways.” 

“Yeah. Well. Your sister said something about an interview? Are you a newspaper reporter or something?” 

He coughed and pressed out a “Yeah.” 

“What are you writing about?” She sounded interested. 

“Uhm… A thing. About teachers and art. At Jaha High.” Those were the first things that came to his mind. And he felt dumb. So, oh so very dumb. He could punch himself in his face! Instead, he just closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Well, that sounds… promising.” He knew that she didn’t believe him much. He heard her shush a child, Madi, in the back again. 

“Listen, Miss Griffin- “ 

She interrupted. “Call me Clarke.” 

“Alright, Clarke. Well, here’s the thing. I lied when I got my job. I told them I had a daughter, so I could leave early to pick her up from day care, take her to doctors’ appointments and occasionally miss a day when she’s sick. Long story short: I ‘m in too deep. I didn’t think it through. The problem now is that I need a wife and kid to some fancy work party thing next Friday. So, I am kinda… looking to rent a wife and kid for bring your child to work day. Must be a girl, age 2-4 with curly brown hair who loves to paint the walls of my house with every available color. Must be artistic as the macaroni noodle drawings I made and showed around to some colleagues seem a little advance for someone that age. She also needs to respond to ‘My little Picasso’ as that’s what my wife and I call her. I mean, what the pretended wife and I call her. I… You don’t have to partake in the fancy dinner thing too, I just need your kid to go there with me for a few hours.” Shit. Bellamy thought. That sounded real creepy. 

Then, he heard a small 'mama' in the back and a 'Soon, baby. Just one second'. Then, Miss Griffin- Clarke- was back. “I’m in, under one condition.” 

“Anything.” 

“You’ll come with me to my ex’s wedding.” 

Bellamy swallowed. He did not expect that. He expected money or something. But not this. 

“Mr Blake? Are you still there?” 

“It’s Bellamy. Yeah. Uhm… Sure.” He agreed. “Should we… I dunno. Meet or something?” 

He heard Clarke laugh on the other end of the line. “Sure. Let’s say… Tomorrow at 12? Are you free then? We could… I don’t know. Drink a coffee or something? There’s a small, cozy coffee shop near the school where I always go during my breaks.” 

“That sounds great. Text me the address and I’ll be there tomorrow.” 

They said their goodbyes to each other and then the line went dead. “What did just happen?” He asked himself and leaned back into the couch. Octavia appeared around the corner. “Well? How did it go? Did you get yourself an interview person?” 

He rolled his eyes. “We’re meeting for coffee tomorrow.” 

Octavia shrieked and threw her arms around his neck. “This is so great! This is great stuff for a romance novel. Just imagine what we would earn if you wrote a novel about this! Sooo cool!”   
“Uhm… Do you... know anything about Clarke? I mean, Miss Griffin?” 

She rolled her eyes but still couldn’t wipe the grin from her face. “She’s pretty. Blond, long hair, kinda smallish, blue eyes. She’s very artistic, I mean she has to be as an art teacher. And the others are always saying that she’s very open to what you do in art class, as long as you put some effort in the project instead of just sitting there and waiting for the time to pass. I think her second subject is English Literature or something. Maybe she can talk to you about all that stuff you have in your library?! Gosh, you’ll make such a great couple!!!” 

“Breathe, O.” he grinned back at her, somehow feeling great inside. “Let’s see how tomorrow goes. Maybe I’m not her type?” 

“Please. As if you wouldn’t. Teachers often like other teachers or people that look like teachers. With your glasses, your charm and your good looks you’ll definitely spark her interest! Wear the glasses, promise me?!” 

“Alright. Sure. Now, it’s late! Go to bed and let me think about all the stuff I’ll tell her tomorrow!” 

When his sister was gone, he grinned to himself. Seems like he got himself a possible family. Let’s just hope Clarke and her daughter are great, he thought to himself.


	2. The Initial Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! So here it is, the second chapter. I have been busy with university lately, but I have two more weeks left before it starts again after the summer break. Let's all hope I'll keep writing until then!!! 
> 
> As always, feedback is greatly appreciated. Hope you are still interested in the story?!

Working for a newspaper had considerable advantages. One being that Bellamy could basically decide where and when he worked. Which is why people didn’t really suspect anything when he announced shortly after 12 that he’d be doing a long dinner break and mumbled something about his nonexistent wife and kid. Murphy grinned at him and told him to enjoy the time and seriously- it was strange. 

When Bellamy first started working for “Ark News”, the guy had been angry all the time, scowling at everyone and degrading everything the others wrote. He himself had barely gotten together the wanted articles, his specialty being critics of books, movies, songs- anything. You name it, he would write a bad critic, basically saying everything is shit. But then, a few months after Bellamy started there, they hired a new member. He wasn’t that into technology, so he never really knew what Emori did. She worked with computers and printers a lot and Murphy suddenly had real problems with his computer, always asking for Emori to come up and help him. They just clicked, and soon Bellamy found himself in front of the altar as one of Murphy’s best men. Ever since, the guy was completely different. Smiling more and being less angry, not making the newbies flinch whenever he walked by. 

With a deep sigh, Bellamy waited for the elevator doors to open. The Newspaper writers were great, he had come to enjoy the other writer’s company a lot. He considered Miller, the one from the sport section, his best friend. Sometimes, he would make stuff up about Octavia and his wife taking care of his toddler, so they could enjoy a beer at a bar together. And sometimes Bellamy regretted even telling the lie because it would have been nice to get out of the house more, to have some friends and to actually be single, even though he was. 

The drive to Jaha High only took him a few minutes- it’s not as if he chose the school for Octavia on a whim. He wanted to be close to her- in case something happened he didn’t want to drive through the whole city to get to her. 

Clarke and he had agreed to meet in front of the coffee Shop and for a few minutes, Bellamy sat inside his car and just watched, as if he was going to change his mind. What if she was an old lady in real life? His sister wasn’t known to be always truthful and she could be really “funny”, telling things that weren’t true. Shortly before 12.30 he decided just to get out of his car and wait in front of the shop. If she turned out to be someone completely different, he would think of a way to shrug her off. 

They hadn’t exchanged pictures or descriptions, so when a relatively short blonde woman walked in his direction, he didn’t really pay attention to her more than to any of the other people walking to the coffee shop. Only when she stood in front of him, a small and unbelievable cute frown on her face, he lightly shook his head and came back from his thoughts. 

“Bellamy Blake?” She asked, and he could have sworn he never heard a voice as sweet as hers. 

“Uh, yes, that’s me. Clarke?” She nodded and smiled. 

“Shall we go in?” He murmured a response and held the door open for her, wanting to make a good impression. When they stood in front of the cashier to place their orders, he mumbled an excuse and took out his glasses, remembering his sister’s orders to wear them. 

“I’ll have a Chocolate Chip Muffin and… one black coffee please” Clarke ordered and shot him a small smile afterwards. 

With a small smile in return, Bellamy said, “I’ll take the same” and passed the cashier some bills. When they received their coffees and Muffins, they retreated to a table in the back- a small, cozy space that seemed very inviting- and sat down. 

“You didn’t have to pay” Clarke said and placed her hands around the mug to warm them, the tips just slightly blue. He wondered if it was from the cold outside or if she had painted with blue at school today. 

“It’s alright. After all, if you really do this, I will be forever in your debt.” Bellamy answered and pushed his glasses up on his nose. 

She shrugged. “Like I said, you would be a lifesaver if you decided to accompany me on my Ex’s wedding.” 

A small silence evolved between them and after a sip from the coffee and a bite of the muffin, Bellamy said, “So… Tell me about yourself. Please.” 

“Well, I’m a single mother to a two-year-old whirlwind. I am a teacher at Jaha High, my subjects are Art and English Literature. I am single, obviously. Otherwise I would probably not have met you today.” She let out a small laugh. “Oh and, obviously my daughter inherited my talent when it comes to art. So, calling her “My little Picasso” would actually be true. I would have to see the noodle drawing you faked, just to see if people would be convinced or not. Cause Madi is really good at arts.” 

Bellamy grinned back at her. “That could surely be arranged. I’ll send you a picture later when I am back at the office.” 

She nodded and then waited for him to tell her something about himself. “Well, obviously I am single too. I told my colleagues a lie to sneak out every now and then and I can’t really tell them the truth now, can I? I write for the History section of “Ark News”, I am really into Ancient Greek History and I take care of my sister Octavia. I don’t know if you met her?” 

“Not properly, at least. She just handed me your number yesterday and has been sending me some knowing grins today. She seems like a nice girl, though.” 

“Ha”, he let out a laugh. “She can be a devil, believe me. I am not sure whether to be glad that she’s leaving for college in a few weeks or whether to worry.” 

Clarke grinned. “I can imagine that. Which college will she go to?” 

They continued talking about Octavia, their own college adventures, their jobs- basically about everything except the elephant in the room. When their conversation died down a bit, Clarke bit her lip and leaned back a bit.   
“So, how exactly are we going to pull it off with your co-workers?” She asked him. 

“Well, I thought we could meet at the office? The party will start at five, right after everyone’s finished their work for the day. I told my coworkers it would be hard to find a sitter, so it would be best if you bring Madi with you. If that’s okay of course. Then we mingle with the group, introduce you to my co-workers, spread some lies and stuff… If it gets really uncomfortable, we could always say Madi is getting sick or something, so that we can leave.” 

Clarke contemplated the things he said and then nodded. “Sounds great. I should warn you, though. Madi seems to be very intelligent these days and asking about her father. You might get called ‘dada’ a few times that evening.” 

“Alright. That’s okay, I guess. Her calling me Bellamy would be pretty strange too, so I guess I would prefer daddy.” It seemed really strange to call himself that. “What about the wedding of that ex of yours?” 

Clarke shrugged. “I don’t even know why he invited me. It’s not like we stay in contact much. He is actually Madi’s father, but he never really cared to be involved in her live. I don’t know whether or not I should go, but if I do decide to go, it would be nice to have a familiar face there with me. A friend.” She smiled. 

“So… we’re friends already?” He grinned. 

“I guess so. I would be a fool to help a stranger and then say goodbye afterwards, wouldn’t I?” 

“Pretty much, yeah.” Bellamy grinned. “So, what’s the deal with the guy? Why did he not want to be involved with Madi?” 

“I don’t think he was ready to be a father. I mean, we’re pretty young, so it might have been that. But also… He is or was a very adventurous kind of guy, always ready for a fling more than a relationship. We went out a couple of times, slept together. I dunno. I thought we could become more than just, you know, two people wriggling in the sheets. When I told him that much, he said he wanted to keep it casual and wasn’t ready for a relationship. We went separate ways for a few weeks until I found out I was pregnant. Then, I also found out he actually had a girlfriend while we went out together. It was a huge thing and, in the end, Raven, his then girlfriend, left him too. He said he doesn’t want to be involved in Madi as a father but if I ever needed money I could contact him. Anyways. Raven and I have been planning to get back at him somehow and this wedding seems to be a great opportunity for that. She has a boyfriend too, some mechanic she met at work and she is invited to it as much as I am. We have this fantasy of angering him a lot at the wedding, showing him what he lost and all.” 

“I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but he sounds like a jerk. My sister and I grew up without a father and it was really tough for our mom, even though she was a great mother. I imagine it wasn’t always easy for you too.” Then, he hastily added, “Not that you’re a bad mother! That’s… I didn’t want to imply that at all.” 

“It’s fine, Bellamy” Clarke said and laid a hand on his for a few short seconds. “I know what you’re getting at. But still… I was prepared to take care of Madi alone, I knew so from the second I found out about the pregnancy. Sure, it would have been nice to have something with me for the big things like OB visits, birth, first words, first step and all. But I have friends to share that with and my mother. I never needed Finn for all of that. So, it’s really fine.” She smiled. “Thank you for caring though. It’s been a long time since any male has been interested in me and m daughter.” 

Bellamy smiled too. “If Madi is anything like you, a man would be a fool not to get involved with you both. You seem very talented, intelligent, not to mention you are really beautiful…” He trailed off when his cheeks got warmer. Damnit, Bellamy, he thought to himself. You’re barely known her for a few hours and you’re already flirting?!

“Anyways. Do you want another coffee?” he asked her, stood up and grabbed the empty cups and the two plates. 

“Yeah, one for the way would be great. I have got an evening art class in half an hour.” Clarke smiled and followed him to the cashier. After ordering and receiving their coffees, they left the shop and awkwardly stood outside it, not sure how to say goodbye to each other. 

“So… Do we have a deal?” Clarke asked then and shot him a smile. 

“Yeah. I mean if you want to.” 

“Sure. I’ll text you later, maybe you can come over for dinner or playtime before Friday. Get to know Madi a bit and all.” 

Bellamy nodded. “That sounds great. Have fun with your art class now.” 

She grinned and said, “You too with your article about ancient Rome stuff.” He was so deep in his thoughts about her dazzling smile that he only realized she got it wrong when she had crossed the street.   
“It’s Greek, Clarke!” He shouted after her, feeling his cheeks redden again as people turned their heads to look at him strangely and Clarke laughed from the other side of the street, waving at him before hurrying in the direction of the school. 

“Damn” Bellamy mumbled to himself and got into his car, driving back to the Newspaper Agency and spending the afternoon with his mind travelling back and forth to Clarke and Ancient Greek Gods he was planning to write about. Because he basically couldn’t form coherent sentences, let alone a coherent passage, he had to take his notes and laptop home with him and try writing the article there.   
He was halfway done proof reading, when his sister plopped down besides him. “Sooo?” She asked and grinned at him, flopping her hair back. 

“So, what, O?” 

“How is she? Is she nice? Did you kiss or something? Have you met her daughter yet? Did she agree?” 

He sighed and put the pen he was holding away, leaning into the couch. “Why do you care so much?” 

She shrugged. “I just do. And she seems like someone who could make you happy. Not to mention you bolted in here earlier wearing the biggest grin I have ever seen!” 

“I like her, yes. She is intelligent, and I enjoyed having a coffee with her. She’ll go with me on Friday, bring her daughter Madi and in exchange I’ll be her plus one at her ex’s wedding. There is nothing more that you should know, O.” He faced her with a stern glare, as he didn’t want to give away too much. 

“Oh, I am so excited! This really seems novel worth and if I wasn’t so bad at writing, I would definitely give it a go!” 

He shook his head. “Please don’t. I don’t know where this is going anyway. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. And please, Octavia, if you see her at school or something, don’t talk about this with her. I don’t know if that could end bad for either of you, but the school does not have to know about a teacher being involved with a family member of one of the students, especially because we are only faking it. Understood?” 

“Sir, yes, Sir!” She lifted her hand to her forehead in a salute and sharply nodded, just once. “I’ll go call Lincoln and tell him about all this!” 

And then, she was off, her phone in hand and telling her boyfriend all about this. He was a year older and had already been at college for a year now, majoring in sport and economy. When she had told him about Lincoln, Bellamy definitely wasn’t as excited as his sister. He was unsure the bulky, big, muscled football player would be an adequate first love for his sister. But she had begged him for so long that Bellamy couldn’t say now when she asked him to go to Prom with Lincoln. Now, around a year after their first date to the cinema, watching some chick flick, Bellamy actually liked Lincoln and was great he was Octavia’s first boyfriend and not some other dude. Lincoln was completely different from all the other jocks, all those that had teased Bellamy when he was their age. Lincoln made his sister happy, and as long as it stayed that way, Bellamy was completely fine with it. 

He took out his phone and, as promised, sent Clarke a picture of the noodle he had drawn for his colleagues, telling them it was his daughter. He received a countless amount of the “crying from laughing” emoji from Clarke and wore a faint color of red on his cheeks the rest of the night.


	3. meeting Madi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellamy is finally meeting Madi, they enjoy dinner, some conversation and homemade hot chocolate :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear readers!  
> I am really sorry I haven't updated until now. I've been busy with university and my studies. I bet you all thought I would never update again. But I really pushed put a lot of words today :) I hope these 2600 words can make up for the long wait. I already started on chapter 4 and have chapters 5,6 and 7 already planned. So you shouldn't have to wait another 4 months like last time.
> 
> PLEASE, send me some feedback or ideas if you have them.  
> disclaimer: I own no one. Sadly. And, as I am not a native speaker, any mistakes you find are mistakes you can keep :)
> 
> happy reading now!  
> Pusteblume17

When Clarke got home that night after first meeting Bellamy, she kept walking up and down her living room, scolding herself for this strange idea. If she told her friend Raven about this whole fake marriage and fake baby daddy thing, the other woman would surely think of Clarke as crazy.

"How am I going to pull all this off?" she asked Madi, who looked up with big eyes from her playpen.

"Mama play?" she asked her mother with a big grin, holding a stuffed dog out with her little hands.

Clarke sat down beside her little angle and took the dog. "Yeah baby, I'll play with you." She listened to her daughters babbling and tried to avoid Madi hitting her mother with her stuffed toys. Clarke's thoughts wandered. Ever since her breakup with her ex Finn, she hasn't had a date. Even if she had someone to go out with, her daughter always came first. Her job allowed her to be relatively flexible and thus she could spend a lot of her free time with her daughter. Clarke wanted to be a better mom to her kid than her own mom was to Clarke and whenever Madi looked at her with those big eyes and kind smile, held out her arms for her mother to pick her up or gave her mommy a good night kiss, Clarke's heart warmed, and she had the feeling she did good.

Later that night, when she brought Madi to bed and cleaned the apartment of stray toys, Clarke sat down on her couch with a glass of wine and some much-needed Vanilla ice cream. She stared off into the distance and remembered her lunch date. Bellamy Blake. Technically, a family member of a student- so he should be off limits for her. But, on the other hand, she had never taught Octavia directly- it should be okay then, right? She remembered his dazzling smile and those glasses- damn them. She couldn't get the handsome brunette man out of her mind. The men she could have dated in the past didn't look as dazzling as he did. Just thinking about him made her insides all tingly and she could already feel some butterflies in her belly. The conversation with him had been interesting, funny and she nearly lost track of time, they had bonded instantly. Clarke hasn't felt like that ever since she met Raven and Wells, her two best friends.

She sighed and was pulled from her thoughts by her phone signaling an incoming message. Once she opened the picture Bellamy sent, she clamped a hand over her mouth. The noodle their 'daughter' was supposed to have drawn looked more like a chaotic bunch of yellow color. She sent a string of laughing emojis back to him and she really had a hard time getting back to normal.

**Whaddaya think? Our Picasso has some serious drawing skills, right? - Bellamy**

She grinned and hastily typed.

_Yeah. Definitely. She'll get a scholarship and all and become the next Monet or Rembrandt. C._

**I have literally no idea who those people are. But hey. You're the expert. B**

_Right. How's Greek stuff going? C._

**Done with the article. Should be printed tomorrow. B**

_Can I read it? C._

**I'll bring a copy to our play date, if you want. B**

_Nice. My place at 6.30? C._

**It's a date. B**

Clarke threw her phone carelessly into the cushions besides her and laid her head back onto the couch.  _It's a date_. With a last sip of her wine and a small sight, she got herself ready for the night, all the while being haunted by Bellamy's last words.

* * *

 

"Okay, Madi. You'll be good for mama alright? We're having a special guest today. He is a friend of mama. His name is Bellamy. Can you say Bellamy?" Clarke said while trying to fix her daughters clothes, all wrinkled up from playing with her toys.

"Bmi, Bellmi, Bellah-mi" Madi chanted with a big grin, all the while being engrossed in her toys as well.

"Yeah, baby. Bellamy. Bellamy will play a lot today with you. He is also staying for dinner, so you better show him your good table manners. Alright?" Clarke pressed a kiss to her daughter's hairline and spared a look at the clock. Five minutes to 5.30. He would be ringing the doorbell soon. "Let's take some books and toys downstairs with us. What do you want to play with Bellamy, sweetie?"

"Play with dolls!" Madi shrieked and grabbed the first available doll. Her grandmother had given it to her, and even though Abby Griffin rarely came to see her granddaughter, the girl clung to it for life. Clarke never really understood that. The doll wasn't even pretty and Madi had much more interesting toys to play with.

"Alright, sweetie. We'll see if Bellamy likes to play dolls." She grinned at the thought and took the doll from her daughter. "What about another toy? Or a book?"

"Gruffelo!" Madi exclaimed and started off towards the book shelf in one corner of her room. She carefully took out the book and handed it to her mother, grinning from ear to ear. "Madi love Gruffelo!"

"You do love the Gruffelo. Right. Let's go downstairs. Do you want to help mommy set the table for Bellamy?"

She fiercely nodded and added a "Madi help!", while Clarke took her hand and slowly walked downstairs. She got out the plates and cutlery, handing spoons and plastic cups to her daughter. Together, they walked to the small dining room and Clarke picked up Madi, holding her over the table and slowly going around it, so that Madi could put the spoons and cups down on it.

"Good girl. Thank you for helping mama!" she praised and gave Madi a kiss on the cheek. She put the girl down in a chair and went back into the kitchen, to get the salad and the bread for the adults, as well as the pasta – she grinned at the though and was excited to see Bellamy's reaction to their dinner. Would he find the connection between Madi's (his) noodle drawing and their dinner? Before she could think any more, the doorbell rang. She took a deep breath, picked up Madi and walked to the door.

With a big smile, she opened it and muttered a "Hi Bellamy" to her guest. She felt Madi become shy on her hip, the little head hiding in her neck and registered her toddler putting her thumb into her mouth.

"This is Madi, my daughter. Madi, this is Bellamy. Say hi to Bellamy, Madi." Clarke nudged her daughter and sent her an encouraging smile.

Madi, still with her thumb in her mouth, mumbled a small, "Hi, Bellmi." and promptly hit her head in her mother's neck again.

Bellamy smiled back at her and held his hands out in front of his chest. "Hello, Madi. I brought you a gift," He gently handed the package to the almost three year old and took off his coat, hanging it on the hook beside the door. "Clarke, you have a lovely home," he added and sent her an equally dazzling smile.

"Thank you. Let's go to the dining room. You can open your gift there, Madi." Bellamy followed his new friend into said dining room, all the while admiring the interior of the young mother's house. Everything was modern, mostly white or pastel colored and there were a lot of painting and pictures on the wall. The pictures mostly had Madi and Clarke in them, sometimes he could catch a glimpse of what he assumed were her grandparents. He also saw a few pictures of Madi with a dark-haired woman with olive skin and a man with a dark complexion. He frowned a bit. Certainly, that couldn't be Madi's dad, could it?

"Okay Madi, open the gift," he heard Clarke whisper and turned around just in time to see the toddler basically ripping the wrapping paper into pieces. Madi smiled at him, almost as if to thank him for the book he gave her.

"I hope you don't already have that one. It's pretty new and I thought she'd like it," he explained to Clarke and sat down on the opposite side of the table.

"I bet she does," answered Clarke and turned to her daughter. "Please say thank you, Madi."

"Thank you, Bellmi," the toddler said right away, grinning from ear to ear. "Read book now?" She held the book out to their guest.

The adults shared a small laugh. "Maybe later. I see your mommy made dinner for us. Let's eat that first, alright?"

Madi fiercely nodded and sat up a little straighter in her seat.

"She is really excited for our dinner" Clarke explained and grinned at Bellamy.

"What are we having?"

The mother bit her lip to suppress the laugh and opened the lid. "How do you feel about some noodles?" His laugh made her belly twitch in delight.

"Noodles sound perfect," he grinned and took Madi's plate, holding it out for Clarke to fill. While the toddler then started happily munching on her pasta right away, Clarke added, "I thought we could also do some studying. You know. For artistic purposes. We could treat the noodles like live subjects and study their form, color etc. and try to do some drawings." She barely could control herself, her grin widening.

"Yeah, sure. Although, I think Madi's drawing was pretty good. I don't think our little Picasso needs more practice. Right, Madi?" he smiled at her, and gently poked her nose, eliciting a shriek and love from Madi.

Bellamy and Clarke both picked up their forks and enjoyed the dinner, him occasionally asking some questions and trying to get Madi to talk too. He seemed very interested in the toddler, and Clarke was surprised how well her daughter took to him. It took Madi more than one encounter to love her aunt Raven and uncle Wells, but with Bellamy… Madi seemed to have no problem with him.

Soon, dinner was over and Clarke stood up, taking their plates and cutlery. "Let me help," Bellamy offered and stood up as well.

She shook her head no. "You stay there and get to know Madi. She brought her doll from her room, as well as a book. You could also read the book you got her. Or-"

"We'll be fine," he interrupted her. "I don't think we'll run out of things to do."

"Yeah, okay. I'll be right back. If you need me, just shout." Clarke said and gave a kiss to Madi's head. "Be good for Bellamy, okay? Mama will be right back." Madi didn't really have time to think about her mommy leaving her. Bellamy had quickly picked her up, tickled her belly and retreated to the couch a few steps away from the dining table.

"Alright, little Picasso. Do you want to play dolls? Or read a book?" Madi grinned and shoved the doll into Bellamy's hands. "Okay. Doll it is. Mhm… Let's see. Are we having a party?" Madi shook her head and mumbled "'venture", one of the new words Clarke and her had practiced in the last couple of days.

"An adventure! Alright."

Clarke watched the encounter for a few seconds, stifling her laugh at Bellamy's funny voices. Then, she hurried into the kitchen and decided to just do a basic cleaning. She put their plates and cutlery into the dishwasher, the leftovers into some boxes and then the fridge, before quickly cleaning all the counter tops and the table in the dining room. Then, she fixed her daughter a banana, her favorite fruit, and set on to make her homemade hot chocolate for the three of them. She put everything on a tray and walked back into the joined dining room and living area, carefully setting the things down on the coffee table. Bellamy had obviously finished telling Madi about the doll's adventures and was now holding the toddler in his lap and the new book in his hand, reading it to her.

However, when Madi saw and smelled the hot chocolate, she quickly turned her gaze away from the book.

"Mama, hot milk?"

Clarke sent Bellamy an apologizing smile. "Yes, baby. Mama made your favorite drink. We have to let it cool down a bit, alright?" Madi nodded and patiently waited.

"Madi knows to wait until it's cold, right Madi? We have some hot chocolate when something special happens and today seems like a special day." Clarke sent a smile to Bellamy and gave her daughter the bananas. Together, they kept reading the book until it came to an end and then Clarke handed Madi the hot chocolate – a lot of milk and just a tiny amount of belgian chocolate.

"Here you go." Clarke then whispered to Bellamy and handed him his cup.

He smiled at her and mumbled a thanks, warming his hands on the cup and sniffing the aromatic drink. "What's in it?"

Clarke leaned back into the cushions, stroking Madi's hair and whispered, "It's my dad's recipe. He always made it for me when something special happened. A birthday, Christmas, Thanksgiving. Graduation. All those days. Sometimes even just for comfort. The last time we had it was when I found out I was pregnant." She wiped a small tear from her cheek. "He died two weeks later."

She felt Bellamy's hand on her arm and heard his whisper of "I'm really sorry, Clarke."

She took a deep breath and tried a smile. "It's okay. I try to do a lot in his memory, so that Madi kind of knows him. She doesn't have a father, or paternal grandparents. My mom isn't really invested in our life either, so… I try to at least keep one grandparent fondly in mind."

"I know exactly what that feels like, to have such a small family. Octavia grew up with just me after my mom's death too. It's hard. But I can see that you are a fantastic mother and Madi is a lovely little girl."

"Thanks," Clarke whispered. They kept on sipping their hot chocolates until each of their cups was empty. "Alright. I think our little Picasso here must get ready for bed now. She's had an interesting day at daycare and met a new friend. That's exhausting." Clarke gently ran a hand over Madi's hair. The girl was ready to fall asleep every minute now. Clarke gently pried the book from the girls' fingers and took the girl into her arms.

"I'll just be upstairs for a few minutes, but she should fall asleep pretty quickly."

Bellamy nodded and said, "Yeah, sure. No problem. I'll take these into the kitchen." He took the dirty cups and Madi's banana plate from the coffee table.

"Thank you. You can stay for a bit longer, if you want to. I'll be right back." She didn't even wait for his answer. Just thinking about her father had made her a bit sentimental and she needed a few minutes, without seeing the pity that was in Bellamy's eyes like it was in any other person's eyes after hearing about her fathers' death. Taking her daughter to bed would be a perfect opportunity for her to have these few minutes to herself.

She slowly climbed the stairs with Madi in her arms, hearing Bellamy rummaging in her kitchen and putting away the dirty cups. While dressing Madi for bed and humming her favorite lullaby while cuddling with the girl Clarke just hoped that Bellamy would indeed still be there when she got back down…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> remember to leave feedback!  
> *places cookies in front of you*


	4. Talking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke and Bellamy enjoy a glass of wine and talk- about friends, family and everything else. Until the evening takes an intersting turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *hands out plate with cookies* DON'T HATE ME GUYS!
> 
> I'm so sorry I'm so bad at uploading. Sometimes I'm in the mood to continue my stories, but most days I'm too stressed to even turn on my laptop. I hope these 3,2k words as an apology help you. As always, reviews are appreciated!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> (disclaimer: I don't own anyone)

When Clarke got back down a few minutes after eight, Bellamy was indeed still in her apartment. Somehow, he must have found some candles in her kitchen cupboards, which were now lit all around the room. He had also found the open wine bottle from the day before and poured them a glass each. Clarke had to admit; it was pretty romantic. And damn, it did things to her heart… She could feel herself really admiring this man and thinking about things that she hadn't thought about for such a long time!

"Hey. Welcome back." Bellamy murmured and scooted over on the couch. They sat on opposite ends of the couch, smiling at each other.

"Yeah. She really went down well. Thanks for staying."

He nodded and murmured a small "sure." For a few moments, they both sat there in the half-lit room, in silence.

"So… Tell me about the party tomorrow. About your co-workers." Clarke proposed, loosening the ponytail and shaking out her blond hair. She's had an exhausting day at work, she could basically feel the stress pressing into her skull and the ponytail certainly didn't help with that.

"Well, there's Murphy. He writes about politics, in a very satiric way. He actually doesn't really like politics, but he is very determined. Our boss tried to fire him a couple of times because of some very strange articles. But Murphy… well, he is like a cockroach. Nothing can stop him." He grinned. "He's got a fiancée, Emori. I haven't met her yet, but I can imagine her being a great woman if she puts up with Murphy." They shared a grin and Clarke could feel herself become excited to meet Murphy and Emori the next day.

"Then, there are Monty and Jasper. They're basically geeks, nerds, whatever you want to call them."

Clarke interrupted him with small nudge with her foot against his. "You're a nerd yourself!"

He rolled his eyes a bit but could feel himself blush. He was a nerd, but just when it came to mythology, okay?

"Anyways. They write about science fiction and fantasy. Sometimes even spiritual things. Promote new games, inventions and all that stuff. Monty has tried making some kind of robot that brings us coffee to our places whenever we press a button on our desks. It didn't really work out well. The robot spilled most of it and our boss was furious. Jasper is also known to always have a bit of their moonshine in a secret drawer. Him and Monty make their own alcohol."

"Really?" Clarke's eyes widened. "Is there anything they can't do?"

Bellamy grinned. "Yeah. You'll see tomorrow. They're both very very bad when it comes to interacting with women." Clarke raised an eyebrow. "Just wait until tomorrow and you'll probably experience their 'flirting' yourself!"

"Then, there is Miller. He's our sports guy. He is funny but kind of introvert and doesn't say much. He is gay, but his parents never really accepted that. They… well. Let's just say he had a very difficult childhood and it never really was easy for him. We've known each other since junior high, when he moved here with his parents. Ever since then we've been best friends and I have been trying to help him with his parents and boyfriends ever since."

Clarke nodded, feeling for a man that she didn't even know. "I know a bit about difficult childhoods myself. Who doesn't?" she shrugged and motioned for Bellamy to keep going.

"Then there is Harper. She is a great girl, very friendly and everybody loves her. Very ambitious and creative. She is our editor and Octavia claims she is the heart of the newspaper, no doubt having made it as successful as it is. The rest of us literally knows nothing about art and layout and stuff. You'll like her!" He shot Clarke a smile, which she returned. She was always glad to meet other artsy people with whom she could bounce ideas on and off. "And then, there's also Echo." Bellamy spoke back up, tearing Clarke from her thoughts and making her immediately noticed his voice becoming smaller, more caring. His eyes softened as well, although he suddenly looked sad. "She's in charge of economics. She's really into money, finances, stocks and all the stuff no one really understands."

They were silent for a minute, with Bellamy avoiding her gaze, unsure if she noticed his change in behavior. Of course, she did notice it, she's a teacher. Teachers notice a lot of things, they have to.

"Were you… in a relationship with her?" Clarke asked, sending him a supportive smile.

"Yeah," he murmured and cleared his throat. "we were college sweethearts, I guess. It ended about two years ago and she's been trying to avoid me ever since. Of course, that's not entirely possible since we work together."

Clarke nodded. "How did it end?"

"She's… We're very different people and we only noticed that a few years into our relationship. We both grew up and just weren't compatible as adults. I had to be a father figure for Octavia after our mom died. I also expressed the wish to get married someday and have kids. She didn't want all of that and she certainly didn't understand how my priorities changed after mom died."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

He shrugged. "It's okay. I am glad we realized it then, you know. Instead of pretending. It's just sometimes hard, working together. We're kind of friends and we parted ways amicably. But sometimes… I think sometimes she regrets ending things. I don't." He smiled at her and took a sip of his wine. "Now. Enough about me. Tell me more about yourself! Who are the people in the pictures?"

Clarke's face turned into a fond expression and a huge smile lit up her face. "The brunette woman is Raven, the ex-girlfriend Madi's dad cheated on me with. She considers Madi as her niece and also spoils her rotten. I actually asked her if she could take Madi tomorrow, so that we could just say we found a babysitter. But, unfortunately, her boyfriend planned a day at a spa and romantic hotel. They wouldn't want to take a toddler with them. Raven is kind of the sister I never had."

"Do you have any other siblings?"

Clarke shook her head. "No. Just me. The guy in the pictures is Wells. He's been my best friend ever since kindergarten, when he shoved a boy that tried to destroy my sandcastles. His parents and mine quickly became friends then, just like their equally rebellious kids. We all moved to the outskirts together and grew up in each other's houses. He's a good guy, very loyal and extremely sociable. Ever since we were kids, he wanted to be a lawyer, but his father tried to change his mind. His dad owns a firm and does a lot with architecture, real estate and stuff and wanted Wells to take over the firm. Unlike me, Wells has always done what his parent's thought were best for him, so he became an architect."

Bellamy frowned and angled his body more towards her. "What do you mean 'unlike me'?"

"Well… My mom wanted me to become a doctor, just like her. The thought of her daughter doing something different, let alone creative things or reading tragedies instead of anatomy books… it broke her, and it broke our relationship. I have always been rebellious. Dating guys I shouldn't have dated, choosing something just to defy her, getting pregnant and being left by the baby daddy… Becoming a teacher instead of a doctor was the cherry on top." Clarke shrugged and then took a big sip out of her wine glass.

"Isn't she glad that you are employed in a great school and have a wonderful daughter?" Bellamy then asked.

"Apparently that's not enough and I am a failure for her. She actually hasn't seen Madi ever since I gave birth to her. I send her pictures every now and then, hoping maybe she'll come to her senses and want to get to know Madi. It's a long shot, I know. But it makes me feel better about the situation."

Bellamy swallowed. He valued family a lot, which was obvious to everyone who knew him or heard him talk about his sister. "Why? I mean… She's Madi's grandma. Isn't that something she wishes to cherish?"

Clarke sighed. "Well… Two and a half years ago, we didn't exactly get along well. My dad died and I blamed her. I'm still not sure how and why he died, but I'm pretty sure my mom had something to do with it." Bellamy raised his eyes, surprised to hear Clarke say something like that. "Oh no!" Clarke said and grinned a bit. "Nothing like that. She didn't kill him herself. But… it's difficult to explain. Here's the short version, if you want to hear it?"

Bellamy nodded and put his wine glass down on the coffee table.

"So… My dad worked in a science lab. They found something out, I think it was a cure for cancer. My mom has been treating cancer patients for years and always wanted to find a cure for them. That's also how my parents met each other. She started a campaign and collaborated with MedLabs, where my dad worked. Anyways. The bonded, fell in love, had me, looked for a cure, fought, made up – normal marriage stuff. Then, I think he found a cure but somehow my mom wasn't convinced. I've been trying to get her to talk to me for years about why she didn't want to run trials. She's not telling me. Then, two weeks after we celebrated my pregnancy, my dad died of cancer. Turns out he and my mom knew but never told me. I think, whatever he found out, whatever cure he invented, could have helped him. My mom could have helped him, I guess. But she didn't." Clarke swallowed and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. "Sorry I'm so emotional about this."

"It's fine. And I'm so sorry you had to endure that. Have you asked your mother about the cure and why she didn't try it with your dad?"

Clarke nodded. "I tried to, at least. I turned up on her doorstep a few weeks after I gave birth, wanting to ask her about my dad's death. And obviously, I wanted her to meet Madi, maybe even rekindle with her for my daughters' sake. She took one look at Madi, said something about bastards and then she closed the door in my face."

"Wow." Bellamy said. "I don't even know what to say to that. So, it's really just you and Madi?"

Clarke nodded. "And Uncle Wells and Aunt Raven. I'm glad Madi has some kind of father figure, even though Wells and I don't see each other often. It's better than nothing."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, each hanging to their own thoughts. Then Clarke said "But please, don't pity us. We manage and not everybody does well with big families anyways. I don't need a big family to love my daughter."

"I know. And I'm not pitying you, really. Your mother doesn't know what she is missing out. And, I know I haven't known you for such a long time. But I'm pretty sure your father would be proud of you, Clarke." He smiled and gently laid a hand onto her arm. Until that moment, Clarke hadn't even realized how close they sat to each other, having scooted closer every minute.

"Thanks" she whispered and sent him a small smile.

Bellamy nodded and then said, "I noticed a postcard in the kitchen. On the fridge."

"There are a lot of postcards on our fridge. Which one are we talking about here?"

"The one from Greece. A Lexa wrote to you."

Clarke sighed. "This evening is getting kinda depressing for me, buddy! You owe me a happy day after this." They shared a grin and Bellamy nodded.

"I promise we'll do something fun soon. And I promise, I won't ask any questions about people after this conversation. And, you don't have to tell me if you're not comfortable!" he added as an afterthought.

Clarke shrugged. "It's okay. I trust you." Their eyes met and Clarke could feel a warmth spreading inside of her, a kind of feeling she hadn't experienced ever since Lexa. "So, Lexa. She was my girlfriend before I met Madi's dad. We were pretty serious, and I loved her a lot."

"What happened?"

"She loved adventures and the adrenalin rush. We've been together for quite some time and I have to admit, being with her brought me out of my shell. She helped be overcome some of my fears and I was way bolder with her than I usually would have been. She always wanted to fly above mountains in a small plane. You know, like these planes for just two people? Anyways. One of her friends was a pilot and he had a plane. They took it to the mountains somewhere and then their plane had some malfunctions. They could have probably made it, but her friend had a heart attack- in the plane. Lexa has had some classes on how to fly small planes, but not enough. They crashed somewhere over the Rocky Mountains, she died immediately." Silence filled the room. Bellamy was speechless, he really did not expect all of this.

"The postcard… She sent it on the day of the crash, right?" he gently asked.

"Yeah. It arrived a day after I contacted the police because I didn't hear from her and they told me she was dead."

"Wow. That's… I' m so sorry. Clarke, I shouldn't have asked about this. I'm really sorry I made you talk about it and relieve it and all." Bellamy raked his fingers though his hair, looking very apologetic.

"It's okay. I'm glad I can talk about it. There has been a time where I couldn't. I miss her a lot, some days more than others. But… our life back then was very different. I am another person now, which also makes me handle things different, including her death." She smiled slightly. "And, Lexa always dreamed of dying after having lived. You know? She was the pure adventure and she did not want to die after a boring life. And her life was way from boring. I don't think she died a sad person. Do you know what I mean?"

Bellamy nodded. "Sounds like she lived life to the fullest."

"Yeah, she– "before Clarke could continue, the doorbell rang. Clarke frowned and shot a look at the clock. It was half past nine, who in the world would ring the doorbell at this time?

"Excuse me for a sec." She said to Bellamy, put a hand to his shoulder in excuse and walked to the door. Bellamy stood as well, taking their empty wine glasses into the kitchen. He quickly rinsed them, all the way straining his ears to listen to Clarke and whoever was at the door. It did not sound like she invited the door ringer in. Quite the opposite, her voice sounded angry, raising in volume, until he caught bits and pieces of the conversation.

"No. You have no right."

A man's voice could be heard, saying, "Oh, but I do! And I will definitely fight you on this, you can be sure of it."

It sounded threatening and, Bellamy worried even more with every passing minute. He quickly walked through the kitchen and through the living room to the front door.

"Everything alright here?" he asked, fixing the man opposite him with a blank stare. Clarke immediately scooted closer to Bellamy, holding the door open with a death grip, her knuckles turning white. He protectively put one arm around her waist and waited for the man to answer him. But instead, whoever he was, fixed Clarke with a cold eye.

"Are you serious? Look at him. Do you really think that's a good idea? I can't believe you. I will get back to you and until then, you better loose this shaggy guy here."

"What the fuck?" Bellamy exclaimed, barely containing his emotions. "Who are you again?"

The guy laughed and both Bellamy and Clarke could smell that he had a bit too much to drink. "I'm the baby's father, not you. So, I guess you better leave or else…!"

Bellamy shot a look to Clarke and gently pushed her behind himself to shield her body. "I think you better leave this property. You are not wanted here. We will call the police if you don't go now."

"Go? Police? As if. It's my baby, I have every right to see him."

Clarke was furious. He didn't even remember his child's gender. Before she could react, say something or punch the guy in the face, Bellamy had already given him a small push to get him out of the doorway.

"Son of a…" The guy mumbled and took a swing at Bellamy. Even though he was pretty intoxicated, he still aimed- and hit Bellamy's nose. Bellamy's hand went to his nose, red blood immediately smearing it.

"I'll call the cops" Clarke mumbled and took out her phone. Before she could dial 911 and hit the green button, the guy turned around on the doorstep and stumbled to his car.

"Son of a bitch", Bellamy mumbled and attempted to walk after him to punch him back. But Clarkes hand on his arm and her quiet "please, don't" held him back. He nodded and watched Clarke close the door as quickly as she could. Then, she took his arm and led him to the bedroom, pushing him to sit on the edge of the bathtub. She opened a drawer, got out a small cloth and wet it with cold water. Then she gently pried his hand away from his still bleeding nose and held the cold cloth to it.

"Clarke. Are you okay?" Bellamy mumbled around the cloth, his non-bloody hand gently grasping her wrist.

"I'm not the one with a bleeding nose!" she exclaimed. "I'm so sorry he punched you. I had no idea he would turn up and I… Oh god. He's going to take Madi away from me!"

Bellamy shook his head and squeezed her wrist in his. "He won't. I'm not going to let him, okay?" Their eyes met and, even though they didn't know each other for such a long time, Clarke trusted him. She nodded and tried to get her emotions back in check. She gently cleaned Bellamy's nose and rinsed the cloth under hot water. Then she carefully examined his nose, stating, "it's not broken. Thankfully." He nodded.

"I should go. Are you fine to stay on your own?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'll be okay."

Bellamy grabbed all his belongings, put on his jacket and took his car's keys in hand. Then, they slowly and silently walked to the door. Clarke opened it and he immediately looked out to check if the guy was still hanging around the street. He wasn't.

"Call me, okay? If there's anything you need or if he turns up again, you call me, okay?" he asked, gently putting a hand on her arm.

Clarke nodded.

"Promise me, Clarke. Or else I don't feel comfortable leaving you and Madi alone."

She shot him a small smile and whispered. "I promise. Thanks Bellamy and I'm sorry about your nose."

He nodded. Then, on impulse, he leaned forward and planted a quick and gentle kiss onto her cheek. "See you tomorrow, princess." He grinned and with a light blush on her face, Clarke closed the door. He waited till he heard the lock turning, then got to his car and drove home, a gleeful grin plastered on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about Lexa... Please leave reviews (but stay friendly)
> 
> Also... Is anyone still as excited as me for Eliza and Bob having married?! I still can't believe it!


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